American Math Proficiency, as illustrated by a standardized exam, does not match other countries

   

                 US 32 %                Germany 45 %                   Canada 49 %                        Singapore 63 %
 

Many people have a working knowledge of mathematical problem solving but have difficulty passing a standardized math exam. People are afraid of MATH exams. Psychologists have named this debilitating emotional reaction to mathematics - MATH ANXIETY. It affects many people.

 
Automation Workz 4 U is a family oriented hands-on iSTEAM (invention, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) hunt followed by 4 -2 hour Math Anxiety workshops for Adults 18 and above. GOAL: To deliver more Math proficient participants able to apply for skilled trade apprenticeships and to eliminate parents infecting their children with Math Anxiety.

WHY? Employers desire thinkers and doers to manufacture products and construct buildings to increase their profitability. Employers are looking for the skills dubbed “The Four C’s”:

 
Critical thinking and problem solving
 
Effective communication

Collaboration and team building

Creativity and innovation

 

These skills are ground in iSTEAM (invention, Science, Technology, Engineering, Artistic Design and Mathematics). Employers are experiencing a Talent shortage of Americans workers Detroit residents are struggling to prove they are Mathematics proficient. Hence, They are experiencing barriers to jobs in Construction, Healthcare and Manufacturing.


Their Math Anxiety has been transferred from Teachers and Parents over multiple generations. For decades and even today, schools have self-contained elementary classes where a female teacher was not ‘good at math.’ By the time the student arrived in middle school, they are not ‘good at math’. "Parents are an untapped resource for promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) motivation and a modest intervention aimed at parents can produce significant changes in their children's academic choices, 7 ” When parents encouraged students in Science Technology Engineering, and Mathematics, 40% of those children matriculated in those subjects in college compared to the 8% who did not receive such encouragement.

  
 
 
The publication Crowdsourcing said that learners grasp---
 
10 percent of what they read
20 percent of what they hear
30 percent of what they hear with a visual accompaniment
50 percent of what they experience with a live demo 
90 percent of what they experience for themselves via a simulation.
 
 http://www.aptaracorp.com/blog/gamification-makes-better-corporate-training
 
 
We gamify technical subjects as Games are .. the most ancient and time honored vehicle for learning. They are the original educational technology." (Crawford, 1984) These events educate and expose both adults and students simultaneously to new career options and application of MATH skills. 
 
However, if parents have math anxiety and attempt to assist their children with math homework, they only make the issue worse, passing their math anxiety from one generation to another. This phenomena has been occurring over 100 years.
 
Furthermore, there has been stereotyping of women and people of color not being good at math that interferes with the instruction they receive in math. In fact, researchers show these populations have received inferior instruction for decades creating a never ending cycle of math failure from math avoidance to poor test preparation to poor math performance to more math anxiety.
 
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Automation Workz 4 U breaks the Math Anxiety problem cycle by presenting hands-on concrete iSTEAM (invention, Science, Technology,Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) activities in a fun competitive scavenger hunt, facilitating group talk about the math problem. The entire family is able to experience the fun of completing iSTEAM task with everyday household or toy items.

We, then provide parents 4 Math Anxiety workshops, where they can learn without the stigma of their children knowing their problem, that translates everyday math talk and hands-on activities into math lingo and then math lingo into math problems to prepare participants to master math word problems on standardized exams.

RESEARCH

1 Ashcraft, Mark, Math Anxiety: Personal, Educational, and Cognitive Consequences, Current Directions in Psychological Science October 2002 vol. 11 no. 5181-185

2,3 Ogilvy PR, Change the Equation Survey, 2010

4 Raytheon Company, Math Alive: Math Relevance to U.S. Middle School Students, 2012

5 Beilock, S, Levine, S Malone, E. Ramirez, G and Gunderson E; Female Teachers' Math Anxiety Affects Girls' Math Achievement, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010.

6 Beilock, S, Levine, S Malone, E. Ramirez, G and Gunderson E; Intergenerational Effects of Parents’ Math Anxiety on Children’s Math Achievement and Anxiety, Psychological Science, 2015.

7 Harackiewicz JM1, Rozek CS, Hulleman CS, Hyde JS, Helping parents to motivate adolescents in mathematics and science: an experimental test of a utility-value intervention, Psychol Sci. 2012 Aug

8 Osborne, J., Testing Stereotype Threat: Does Anxiety Explain Race and Sex Differences in Achievement?, Contemporary Educational Psychology, 2002

9 Ruffins, P., A Real Fear, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, 2007


 
 
                                              HELP US CURE MATH ANXIETY
                                           
                                                                                                 SPONSOR

 
                             
 


 
 
 
 
Previous AUTOMATION WORKZ 4 U events
 
Automation Workz 4 U - Manufacturing was held June 4, 2015 at Oakland Community College - Auburn Hills with  a focus on manufacturing trinket prototypes. Families utilized computer aided design software, metallurgy, machine tool equipment and 3-D printing to create a metal machined keychain and a 3d printed keychain.

It was a perfect opportunity for families to experience the manufacturing design and production process, first hand and to see how iSTEAM (invention, Science, Technology, Engineering, Artistic Design and Mathematics) works in the real world and explore a community college setting.

There were 4 families that won with 1525, 1525 1475 and 1450 points meaning they completed every question even those with a less obvious answer location.

 

 
 
 WINNERS

                  1st place $100                       2nd place $75                          3rd place $50

 

 

Automation Workz 4 U - Electricians was held November 6, 2015 at the Detroit Electrical Industry Training Center under the title "Your Future is Electric." Students, junior and seniors,  came to learn what an Electrician career and apprenticeship training entailed. 
 
 
 
 

 
Participants loved learning about wiring fire alarms  the most. More unexpectedly their next favorite station was learning about the Electrician apprenticeship program. Perhaps the ability to earn a paycheck from day 1 and no debt after training intrigued them 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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